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Post by bois on Sept 25, 2008 10:59:13 GMT -4
the Islanders A lineupo is barely an AHL team
the names you list are not exactly star NHL players with the exception of Marc Savard I guess
a few potential future stars mixed in with a bunch of guys hanging on for a paycheque (Weight) and a buncha guys who never would have played an NHL game before expansion went thru the roof (Sim, Hilbert etc)
I wouldnt pay 70 bucks for that either
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Post by catnut on Sept 25, 2008 12:27:05 GMT -4
The Wildcats off-ice people have something to do with "lack" of atmosphere. In previous years some fans would start cheering on the team only to be drowned out by a canned "Go Cats Go!" on the loudspeaker. Cheering for a goal is no better, any fan noise is drowned out by a bull horn - which note to horn blower, in a blowout game, their is no need for the horn when the score is 7 to 2.... So some people may have stopped trying to make noise knowing they'll just be replaced by fake excitement. Moncton fans do support and have shown excitement for meaningful games... just look at the 05-06 year. Agree totally! I still remember the beginning of the year after the Memorial Cup during the raising of the banner. The crowd launched into a very united and determined "Go Cats Go" until somebody pressed the button for that bull horn or like somebody called it at the time - the Crowd Killer 2000. After the sound of the horn, not a sound was heard in the Coliseum.
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Post by SteveUL on Sept 25, 2008 12:31:44 GMT -4
$70 for AHL hockey is way over-priced. I don't know if i'd call it AHL hockey. Islanders had Okposo, Park, Witt, Weight, Campoli, Streit, Sim, Bergenheim, Martinek, and Hilbert in the lineup. Boston had Nokelainen, Lehtonen, Savard, Wideman, Lucic, Yelle, Stuart, and Lashoff. I was quite disappointed in Boston's lineup, but it was still good hockey. In regards to it being over-priced, I guess it's all relative. I was quite happy paying 70 bucks. That same seat for me in Calgary would be $300. I only get to sit that close when I get tickets from work. One thing that was ridiculous though was the service charge on the tickets. I bought two tickets a couple of weeks ago on the City of Moncton website. I paid $9 per ticket for a service charge. Ticketmaster only charges $4/ticket for christs sakes. What a rip off. Unfortunately you don't get the lineup when you buy the ticket. There are also typically names on both teams that won't play AHL this year ... but will get dropped to ECHL or back to CHL. I have gone to several NHL exhibition games at the Coliseum ... and the last few times I have said I'm not wasting my money on that again ... this time I really meant it. If the game was being played in the 1st week of October when rosters are being finalized ... I'd be more inclined to go. Even when you get NHLers mixed into the lineups ... they are giving only half an effort. The only guys making an effort are the guys that won't make the parent club. If you pay $300 for that kind of hockey ... thats a darn shame.
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Post by Sébastien on Sept 25, 2008 12:35:27 GMT -4
Agree totally! I still remember the beginning of the year after the Memorial Cup during the raising of the banner. The crowd launched into a very united and determined "Go Cats Go" until somebody pressed the button for that bull horn or like somebody called it at the time - the Crowd Killer 2000. After the sound of the horn, not a sound was heard in the Coliseum. That is too funny! And so true as well, I have no idea what the purpose of that horn thing is! Even during the player introductions (unless something changed this year), this Crowd Killer 2000 would go off and stop anyone trying to cheer the players and team going on the ice. I know I didn't bother. I don't think the fans are really a problem. I have seen great atmosphere at the Coliseum (my personal favorite game was game 5 of the playoffs vs. Drummondville a couple of years back), but now you can't do anything. The first game after the Memorial Cup, I was with a couple of friends and we decided we were going to sing, yell and cheer at any possible moment, just for fun. The people around us didn't mind, many joined in and while we were leaving, some people even told us that we should get season tickets to bring more atmosphere. But the problem was that when we would start a cheer, it would get drowned out, sometimes by the same freaking thing! For an example, as Moncton was leading and on the powerplay in the 3rd period, we started doing the Ole chant. People around us starting joining in, and after about 10 seconds or so, the music blarred on the PA with their own Ole song (it happened a couple of times with the Go Cats Go as well). Not only could we not hear ourselves anymore (or the others around us), but the timing was completely off, it threw everyone off so we just sat down again and nobody said a word untill play resumed. Let the fans do what they want. There's too much off-ice things happening at hockey games nowadays IMO. Everyone tries so hard to make it "technologic" and awesome for everyone that in the end, you end up losing the main off-ice thing that brings people to the games: fan based atmosphere.
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1fan
Blue-Chip Prospect
Posts: 428
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Post by 1fan on Sept 25, 2008 12:50:46 GMT -4
I think the poor attendance is the result of multiple factors: too expensive for the product...if this wasn't true, there would have been more people including myself. People have a lot of choices of where to spend their money and time. Moncton has had great concerts every month it seems...only so much time and money to go around. Maybe we are reaching the saturation point. We have so many choices of thing to do, so the chances of people opting for $70 a seat for a game that resembled a game of pond hockey in some ways is too steep.
The gate doesn't lie. Most people obviously passed on this one. The attendance will tell them what the average hockey fan thinks of the price. I feel the same way about paying over $9 for a beer at a Blue Jays game. Some sports have overestimated their value. In the long run...$20 tickets promotes the NHL so I'll watch the games on tv and they can get more money in tv contracts. Charging more for less is sure fire recipe for what...about 1200 fans?
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goon
Blue-Chip Prospect
Posts: 465
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Post by goon on Sept 25, 2008 13:30:45 GMT -4
I don't know if i'd call it AHL hockey. Islanders had Okposo, Park, Witt, Weight, Campoli, Streit, Sim, Bergenheim, Martinek, and Hilbert in the lineup. Boston had Nokelainen, Lehtonen, Savard, Wideman, Lucic, Yelle, Stuart, and Lashoff. I was quite disappointed in Boston's lineup, but it was still good hockey. In regards to it being over-priced, I guess it's all relative. I was quite happy paying 70 bucks. That same seat for me in Calgary would be $300. I only get to sit that close when I get tickets from work. One thing that was ridiculous though was the service charge on the tickets. I bought two tickets a couple of weeks ago on the City of Moncton website. I paid $9 per ticket for a service charge. Ticketmaster only charges $4/ticket for christs sakes. What a rip off. Unfortunately you don't get the lineup when you buy the ticket. There are also typically names on both teams that won't play AHL this year ... but will get dropped to ECHL or back to CHL. I have gone to several NHL exhibition games at the Coliseum ... and the last few times I have said I'm not wasting my money on that again ... this time I really meant it. If the game was being played in the 1st week of October when rosters are being finalized ... I'd be more inclined to go. Even when you get NHLers mixed into the lineups ... they are giving only half an effort. The only guys making an effort are the guys that won't make the parent club. If you pay $300 for that kind of hockey ... thats a darn shame. I'd never pay $300 bucks for hockey. That's why my Flames tickets are way high up in the second bowl. I'm just saying if I wanted to be up that close to the action that's what it would cost me. Only time I get as close as I was in Moncton the other night is when I get work tickets.
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Post by Arnold Slick on Sept 27, 2008 0:19:56 GMT -4
Just some random thoughts:
- Is anyone really surprised that attendance was poor for the NHL pre-season game? Unless you're a fan of Boston or the Islanders I can't really blame anyone for not wanting to pay $70 to see that game
- I actually thought the atmosphere was decent for the first two Cats home games, not great, but decent. It wasn't very good Sunday but what do you expect for a September, Sunday afternoon game against Val-d'Or? I was pretty surprised that 4,000 people showed up for the game.
- The "can't have a great atmosphere every night" argument isn't necessarily true everywhere but unfortunately it is in the Maritimes. I know of a Chicoutimi fan who attended a game in Halifax last year and was absolutely shocked by the fact the majority of people don't stand up for goals. That holds true in every Maritime rink with the exception of Bathurst most times I've been there.
- The warm-up music is lame. For the most part it's the same old boring rock songs that they played last year. The players should be picking the warm-up music and if this is what they want then fine but otherwise change it up. I know this really has nothing to do with "in-game" atmosphere but I've found that in the various Q arenas I've been to that good warm-up music can actually set the tone for a good atmosphere.
- The goal song is lame and incredibly unoriginal. Is anyone else tired of hearing Zombie Nation as a goal song? That song has been so overplayed it's not even funny. I know it's hard to be original with a goal song but please ANTYHING but Zombie Nation.
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Post by Rocky Saganiuk on Sept 27, 2008 23:20:08 GMT -4
In regards to it being over-priced, I guess it's all relative. I was quite happy paying 70 bucks. That same seat for me in Calgary would be $300. I only get to sit that close when I get tickets from work. quote] Based on the difference in economic situations, I would argue that charging $70 in Moncton is equivalant to charging $300 in Alberta.
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Post by DrDever on Sept 28, 2008 1:46:22 GMT -4
$70 for the Bruins/Islanders Exhibition game is ridiculous.
I could of went to a Bruins/Canadiens Playoff game for $12.
As for the Wildcats, the atmosphere has really changed a lot over the years, in a bad way.
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Post by mbastarache on Sept 28, 2008 7:50:53 GMT -4
My only commment is that you can't use the excuse of the music or the videos or horns as the reason why you don't even try. THose are only between plays.
I thought your supposed to chant and cheer during the play? So the players can feed off your energy?
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Post by zambonidriver on Sept 28, 2008 8:44:12 GMT -4
As for the Wildcats, the atmosphere has really changed a lot over the years, in a bad way. You could say this if you took it from their Mem Cup run to now. It's quite normal for a team going through rebuilding to have a change in atmosphere. Hey the home team losses often and it's not as exciting. Keep the faith and don't look at the short term.
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Post by milo on Sept 28, 2008 10:56:34 GMT -4
My only commment is that you can't use the excuse of the music or the videos or horns as the reason why you don't even try. THose are only between plays. I thought your supposed to chant and cheer during the play? So the players can feed off your energy? My guess is that there are at least 10% of fans at Cats games who would love to have a good time and actively support the team but don't bother because of the inevitable glares, anger and threats from backwards thinkers. Why not see if RKI would designate a section (one that has no/few season ticket holders) to allow an independent supporters group of sorts to establish itself and grow, while exempting the section from the no consistent noise, no standing policy? I think supporters sections will be common in Canadian junior hockey in 10-15 years. They have them in hockey arenas across Europe, now North American soccer teams in MLS and USL are seeing how independent supporters groups can benefit a franchise and are allowing them to do their thing.
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Post by Optimus Reim on Sept 28, 2008 21:09:15 GMT -4
I am a season ticket holder and would be all for that. Its far too quiet most times. I still get goose bumps from the mem cup. I remeber being there and not being able to hear the "fog horn" because of the noise in there. I had an air horn and I couldn't hear that! That was awesome. You know its in Monctonians, just need to find a way to get it out of them.
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Post by Arnold Slick on Sept 28, 2008 23:48:14 GMT -4
My only commment is that you can't use the excuse of the music or the videos or horns as the reason why you don't even try. THose are only between plays. I thought your supposed to chant and cheer during the play? So the players can feed off your energy? I don't know if you were talking to me but I wasn't using music as an excuse for anything. My two music comments at the end were just general comments about the overall in-game experience. I'm not saying either has much of an effect on people cheering or not cheering. Regardless I still think some of the music choices are lame
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Post by catnut on Sept 29, 2008 7:55:20 GMT -4
My only commment is that you can't use the excuse of the music or the videos or horns as the reason why you don't even try. THose are only between plays. I thought your supposed to chant and cheer during the play? So the players can feed off your energy? Not an excuse but, almost every time the crowd starts the chants the off-ice staff starts the canned "Go Cats Go!" recording that is completely off timing and essentially shuts the crowd. After so many times, some people give up.
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